Haulage gear for mining machines



June 18, 1935. MOORE 2,005,523

HAULAGE GEAR FOR MINING MACHINES Filed Aug. 26, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Big. 1.

June 18, 19,3 5. V M.' S. MOQRE 7 2,005,523

HAULAGE GEAR FOR MINING MKcHifiEs Filed Aug. 26, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 71 6)? for Patented June 18, 1935 scam rear HAKJLAGE GEAR FQR MINING MACHINES Application August 26, 1933, Serial No. 686,983

In Great Britain September 8, 1932 ll Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in haulage gear for mining machines, in particular for loading, cutting or combined loader-cutter machines such as are used increasingly in mining coal or other minerals.

An object of my invention is to provide a form of haulage gear adapted to haul said machine towards or away from the coal or other mineral broken down at the cutting face, in such manner that the motor or other driving unit need not be reversed when the direction of motion of the machine is changed, 1. e. that said motor or other power unit will continue to run in one same direction whether the machine be hauled towards or away from the cutting face.

Further objects of my invention are to provide in such haulage gear simple and effective means whereby the tractive power required to shift the machine may be regulated to the load, and to provide a gear of this type adapted to be operated for long periods of time with a minimum of lubrication and wear, and comprising means whereby said wear may be taken up by a simple adjustment.

With these objects in View the improved haulage gear according to my invention comprises two drums, a controlling member supported at its ends on two pivots, and means for moving said pivots, either pivot being adapted to act as a fulcrum to enable said member selectively to cause the drive of a power unit to be transmitted to either drum. Both pivots may also be moved together, thus making it possible simultaneously to operate both drums when desired.

In a convenient form of the invention the controlling member consists of a bar or lever pivoted at both ends and adapted to act, through means situated intermediate said ends, on clutches or like members for actuating the drums. The pivoted ends of the controlling member are supported in bearings adjustable in position by screwthreaded means. With this arrangement each hearing may be held in position to provide a fulcrum for the controlling member, while the other bearing-is moved to exert pressure on the clutch selected for operation, and the said member may be made to act with a difierent leverage, appropriate to the load, according as the fulcrum is near to or remote from the clutch to be operated.

In order that my invention may be more readily understood, it will now be described in greater detail, with reference to the accompanying drawlngs illustrating, by Way of example, a convenient embodiment thereof and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a part sectional plan View of an improved haulage gear according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the winding and selective controlling mechanism, showing an alternative arrangement of the haulage cable.

Fig. 3 shows a ratchet and pawl device adapted The improved haulage gear illustrated by way of example comprises essentially a bed-frame I wherein are suitably supported, as in roller 01' ball bearings 2, two parallel shafts 3, 3 upon each of which is mounted idly one of a pair of drums 5, 5 arranged side by side and adapted. each to take a length of haulage rope or cable 1. Secured to one end of each shaft 3, 3 is a spur wheel 8, 8', respectively. An electric motor or other power unit (not shown) is adapted to drive said shafts 3, 3' through'a low-speed shaft 9, a for example, having a pinion H! adapted to drive one 8 of the spur wheels 8, 3', the other spur wheel being rotated through intermediate gears such as l l which, in the example illustrated, cause shaft 3 to rotate in opposite direction to shaft 3'. Integrally of each drum 5, 5 is formed a cup-shaped part l2, 82' adapted to house clutch members it or E3, conveniently of the multiple dry-plate type, adapted to transmit the drive from the corresponding shaft 3, 3 to the cooperating drum 5 or 5' when subjected to presa sure, preferably through a thrust bearing It, it slidably mounted upon each shaft 3, 3. Extending radially across both drums 5, 5 is a cross-member or lever l5 pivoted at both ends, either end H5, 56 being adapted to be locked to constitute the fulcrum of oscillation thereof. At points intermediate of its length member I?) is traversed by the shafts 3, 3'. It is arranged to slide axially along said shafts and is provided with pins Ell, 3B or the like adapted to bear upon one or other thrust bearing M, M and, through the same, to compress the corresponding clutch members it or E3 and thus cause drum 5 or drum 5' to be driven from shaft 3 or from shaft 3 respectively.

The member ll: may conveniently consist of a rigid cross-bar or lever having forked ends it,

16' with suitable eyes pivotally engaged by trunnions ll, ll" on blocks 36, 36 (Fig. 5) slidably supported in slots 32, 32' provided in adjustable bearings I8, I8. Threaded in each bearing I8, I8 is a spindle or rod I9, I9 which is adapted to control the position of the bearing 8, 8' with respect to the thrust bearings M, It. The bearings I8 and I8 are capable of movement either along the threaded rods 59, I9 or bodily with said rods in an axial direction. In order to enable the bearings I8, I8 to be moved along the rods I5), I91 said rods may be provided with square ends 4, 4' adapted to be engaged and rotated by a crank (not shown) removably fitted thereon, the rotation of rod It or II) causing the bearing I8 or I8 associated therewith to move along said rod. In order to enable the bearings I8, I8 to be moved bodily with the rods III, I9, the square ends 4, 4' are caused to bear on cams 6, 6 against which they are pressed by springs'Zfi, 2E) inserted between brackets 33, 33' on the frame I, and collars 34, 34' on the rods III, I9. By turning the cams 5, 6 by means of hand levers 2'I, ZI secured thereto, the rods I9, I9 are moved together with their associated bearings I3, I8. Each cam Ii, Ii has two operative faces at different distances from the cam centre, so that when rotated about its centre the cam either pushes the rod with its associated bearing against the tension of spring '28 or 26', or it allows the said spring to return the rod and its bearing to their initial positions.

Each drum 5, 5' is adapted to take a length of haulage rope or cable whereof one end may be secured thereto. In the case of one drum, e. g. 5, the other end of the haulage rope or cable carried thereby may be led forward of the machine and either be anchored to a haulage post or be brought back over one or more return pulleys (not shown) to be secured to any convenient point of the machine frame. In the case of the second drum, e. g. 5', the other end of the haulage rope or cable secured thereto may be led rearwardly of the machine and either be anchored to a haulage post or be brought back over one or more return pulleys (not shown) to be secured to any convenient point of the machine frame.

In practice, the drive may be transmitted to eitherdrum by causing the lever I5 to be tilted or oscillated towards the same around one or other pivotal fulcrum II, II, so as to engage selectively the thrust bearing It or I4 slidably mounted upon the shaft of the corresponding drum 5 or 5', and cause the plates of the clutch member I3 or I3 cooperating therewith to be pressed together.

One or other end of the lever I5 may be locked against motion axially of the rod I9 or III and thus be made to constitute the fulcrum of oscillation of the same by so operating the rod I9, I53 threaded into the pivotal bearing I3, I53 associated therewith, as to compress the spring 23, 20 cooperating with the rod selected for operation. For this purpose, one or other hand lever 2|, 2| is moved so that its cam face 6 or 6 en gages and raises the end of said selected rod against the tension of spring 2% or 2K1.

For example, referring to Fig. 1, if the pivot II for the end I6 of lever I5 is to be locked against motion, I move hand lever iZI clockwise causing cam 6 to push the rod I9 to the left against the tension of spring 26 and holding it in its new position, whereby the bearing I8 and pivot II have also been moved to the left and held in the new position. At the other end of lever I 5, lever 2| is left in its normal position shown in full lines in the drawings; under the action of spring 20', the rod I9 is urged towards the right and carries with it the bearing I3, the pivot I1 and the lever end It, the lever I5 rocking about the pivot II as a fulcrum and the pin 30' engaging the thrust bearing I41, causing the plates of clutch IE to be pressed together and drum 5 to be driven.

In order to drive the other drum, rod I9 is returned to its initial position by moving lever 2| back to the position shown in Fig. l, whereupon lever 2I' is actuated anticlockwise to cause rod III to be moved in the manner and with the effects above described, the fulcrum of oscillation of lever I5 being in this case, constituted by pivot I I.

By screwing the tensioning rods I9 and/or I9 to a greater or less extent into the movable pivotal bearings I8, I8 through which they are threaded, the springs 26 and/or 20 may be caused to place one or both clutches I3, I3 under any desired degree of pressure commensurate with the weight of the load or drive.

In the case of light or average loads, the pivotal bearing, e. g. I8, of the lever I5 remote from the drum to be rotated is normally locked to constitute its fulcrum of leverage, the other or moving end I6 of said lever being operated to cause the same to actuate the clutch member I3 of the drum adjacent thereto. The leverage available is therefore equal to the distance comprised between the moving end IG' of the lever I5 and the axle of the adjacent drum 5, and if L be the distance between tensioning rods I9, I9,

that from a tension rod to the adjacent drum axle, and X the eifort of the spring upon said tensioning rod then, in the case considered, the

pressure upon clutch I3, say'P, equals XL 0.75L

Should the load be very heavy however, then the fulcrum of leverage of the lever I5 may be transferred to that end thereof, say I6, adjacent the drum to be rotated, and the leverage available at the moving or remote end I6 of said lever will then be a multiple of that available in the case considered above, and equal to the distance comprised between the axle 3 of the drum and the end It of the lever I5 remote therefrom, i. e.

may be effected conveniently by screwing each I tensioning rod I9, I9 well home into the movable, pivotal bearing I8, I8 associated therewith, to lower both said bearings, and to cause said lever to bear upon the clutch member I3, I3 of both drums, through their co-operating thrust bearings M, M, under the action of the compression springs as shown in Fig. 1.

When pressure is removed from the clutch members it, it, the drums 5, are liable to be rotated inversely or unwound by the tension of the haulage ropes carried thereby. To avert this, the periphery of each drum may be provided with ratchet or rack teeth 23 (Figs. 1 and 3), wherewith a suitable pawl mechanism is adapted to come into engagement.

The pawl mechanism which may comprise ordinaryspring-pressed pawls overrides the ratchet or rack teeth 23, 23 whilst a drum is winding, and engages between adjacent teeth to lock said drum when the rotation thereof ceases. In the example illustrated in Fig. 4, a two-way control lever 25 is provided on a shaft 26 adapted to control the pawls 2G, 24 through the earns 2?, 2i, levers 23, 28' and shafts 29, 29 whereby either pawl may be rocked out of engagement with the teeth 23, 23 and thus allow the corresponding drum to be rotated in the reverse direction, when desired.

When it is desired, as may be the case in certain conditions of working, to haul the machine in one direction only and to operate both drums at full capacity, use may conveniently be made of the arrangement illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 2, wherein the free ends of the ropes carried by the drums 5 are coupled together and are led round a haulage post 3i. By this means a lighter rope or cable may be used, and a much longer haulage secured.

The use made in my improved haulage gear or" an oscillating bar or lever for transmitting the drive selectively to one or other drum permits very flexible and delicate control to be exercised and reduces wear to a minimum in the working parts. As wear takes place in the clutch plates, it may readily be taken up by a slight adjustment of the tensioning rods, whereby the lever is caused to follow up the wear.

With the exception of the bearings, no member of the haulage gear according to the invention requires lubrication, and since the clutch plates remain dry, they are always in their state of highest efilciency.

I claim:

1. In a haulage gear for use in mining machines and the like, the combination of two drums, driving means, driving connections between said driving means and each of said drums, two pivots, a member for controlling said connections, said member being supported on said two pivots, eith r pivot being adapted to serve as a fulcrum for said controlling member, and means for moving said pivots to cause said controlling member selectively to render either of said driving connections operative.

2. In a haulage gear for use in mining machines and the like, the combination of two parallel shafts, drums loosely mounted on said shafts, clutches for connecting each drum with its shaft, and means for selectively operating each of said clutches or both said clutches comprising a lever pivoted at both ends, means for moving each pivoted end of said lever towards and away from said clutches, and means for locking each of said pivoted ends against such motion.

3. In a haulage gear for use in mining machines and the like, the combination of a driving shaft, two drums, clutches for transmitting the drive from said shaft to each of said drums, said clutches being normally inoperative, and means for selectively operating each of said clutches comprising a lever pivoted at both ends, means for moving each pivoted end of said lever, and means intermediate the ends of said lever to transmit movement of said lever to either of said clutches.

l. In a haulage gear for use in mining machines and the like, the combination of a driving shaft, two drums, clutches for transmitting the drive from said shaft to each of said drums, said clutches being normally inoperative, and means for selectively operating each of said clutches comprising a leverpivoted at both ends, means for moving each pivoted end of said lever, and means for locking each pivoted end of said lever in adjustable position.

5. In a haulage gear for use in mining machines and the like, the combination of a driving shaft, two drums, driving connections between said shaft and said drums, said connections benormally inoperative, and means for selectively rendering of said connections operative, said means comprising a controlling member pivoted at both ends and means for varying the leverage of said member with respect to said driving connections.

6. In a haulage gear for use in mining machines and the like, the combination of a driving shaft, two drums, driving connections between said shaft and said drums, said connections being normally inoperative, and means for selectively rendering each of said connections operative, said means comprising a controlling lever, two pivots respectively supporting the ends of said lever, and screw threaded means for varying the position of each of said pivots.

7. In a haulage gear for use in mining machines and the like, the combination of a driving shaft, two drums, friction clutches for transmitting motion from said driving shaft to each of said drums, said clutches being normally open, and means for selectively operating each of said clutches comprising a controlling lever, two pivots respectively supporting the ends of said lever, screw-threaded means for locking each of said pivots in adjustable position, and spring means for moving each of said pivots.

8. In a haulage gear for use in mining machines and the like, the combination of two parallel shat ts, means for driving said shafts, drums loosely mounted on said shafts, clutches for connecting said drums with their respective shafts, a controlling member for selectively operating each of said clutches, two pivots supporting each one end of said member, screw threaded spindles for adjusting the position of each of said pivots, spring means for moving each of said spindles with the pivot associated therewith, and means for looking each of said spindles in position against the tension of said spring means.

9. In a haulage gear for use in mining machines and the like, the combination of two drums, mounted side by side, a driving shaft, and means for selectively connecting said driving shaft with either of said drums, comprising a member pivoted at both ends, means for controlling the position of each pivoted end of said member and clutch means controlled from intermediate points of said member.

10. In a haulage gear for use in mining machines and the like, the combination of two drums mounted side by side, a driving shaft, normally open clutches for transmitting the drive from said shaft to each of said drums, and means for selectively operating said clutches, comprising a lever, two pivotal supports adapted each to serve as a fulcrum for said lever, means for moving said supports relatively to said clutches, and means controlled from said lever for operating said clutches.

11. In a haulage gear for use in mining machines and the like, the combination of a driving shaft, two parallel shafts driven therefrom, a drum loosely mounted on each or said parallel shafts, a normally open friction clutch for connecting each of said parallel shafts with the drum thereon, means for locking each drum against reverse rotation, a controlling lever extending across said drums, a means intermediate the ends of said lever for operating each of said clutches from said lever, a pivot at each end of said lever, a supporting bearing slidably engaging each of said pivots, said bearings being internally screwthreaded, spindles having each a screw-threaded portion engaging one of said bearings, sai-d spindles being rotatable and axially movable, springs urging said lever towards said clutches, and

means for locking said spindles against the ten- 10 sion of said springs.

MATTHEW SMITH MOORE. 

